During the AKP’s Extended Provincial Chairs Meeting, Erdoğan stated he appointed a ten-member committee to conclude this process with a "civilian constitution."
"CHP is the political representative of the usurpers"
As the meeting coincided with the anniversary of the May 27, 1960 military coup, Erdoğan connected all negative events in Turkey's recent history to the worldview, political approach, and practices of the opposition CHP. He declared the CHP to be "the political representative of the usurpers in the past, just as it is today."
He continued:
"The CHP leadership of the time paved the way for May 27. It was the CHP again that incited the streets, provoked university youth, and escalated social tension, dragging our country into a coup atmosphere. It was the CHP leader at the time who invited intervention by saying 'When conditions are ripe, revolution is a legitimate right for nations' just one month before the coup. Pay special attention to this: May 27 was not just a coup against the Menderes government but also against the will, choice, and hopes of the people. The real blow was struck against the spirit, will, and courage embodied in the phrase 'Enough, the nation will speak.'"
Erdoğan claimed that they "closed the chapter opened by the May 27, 1960 coup with the epic of national will written on the night of July 15" and that it would not be reopened.
He added:
"Just as we blocked the putschists on July 15, just as we reinforced national sovereignty through the Presidential Government System, just as we removed the shadows of tutelage from over the ballot box, we will, God willing, free our nation from the shame of the coup constitution. We are determined to add the new constitution, with a complete list of freedoms reflecting universal standards, to the inventory of our beloved nation and our democracy."
"The Commander-in-Chief has appointed 10 jurists"
Erdoğan, who once rebuked then-presidential candidate Muharrem İnce in 2018 with "I am the commander-in-chief, who do you think you are?" has now raised the banner of a "civilian constitution."
He stated that although the 1982 Constitution had been largely purged of its disgraceful elements through amendments, it still carried remnants of the coup era. He argued that a new and civilian constitution would "eternally cleanse these remnants and allow us to shake off the dead weight over us."
He said:
"As of yesterday, I have appointed 10 jurist colleagues. These legal experts will now begin working. With this work, we will, God willing, carry out the preparations for a new constitution."
PKK’s disarmament process
Erdoğan referred to efforts to "strengthen the domestic front" and described the developments in the "terror-free Turkey" initiative as a critical threshold that was peacefully surpassed.
“With the organization’s decision to dissolve and lay down arms, we have entered a new phase. We are on the verge of ridding Turkey of a grave affliction that has cost the lives of many patriotic children for nearly half a century. The truth is, with each new phase, both our hopes and our responsibilities increase. Above all, we believe that this delicate, fragile, and provocation-prone phase will, God willing, be completed without incident.”
He added that the security units and all state institutions knew exactly what they were doing:
"When we reach a terror-free Turkey, not just one group or segment, but all 86 million citizens will benefit. Together with the families of martyrs and veterans, everyone who has paid a price for the homeland will gain. Once the wall of terror is brought down, our brotherhood will grow stronger. When the pressure of weapons that has loomed over civilian politics for 40 years is lifted, our democracy’s capacity to resolve issues will expand.”
“Turkey’s horizon will brighten, its path will be cleared. Despite all negative rhetoric, doom-sayers, and discord merchants brewing new plots every day to foster mistrust, we are deeply hopeful. With God’s permission, we will reach our goals this time. Hand in hand, heart to heart, we will save Turkey from this scourge. We will, God willing, make the Century of Turkey also the 'century of brotherhood.’”
Erdoğan threatens local administrations with intervention
Erdoğan criticized CHP Chair Özgür Özel for demanding "freedom" for the detained Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu at the Socialist International Council meeting in Istanbul, calling it “complaining about the country to outsiders.” He framed ongoing investigations as his own directives and accused Özel of “shapeshifting like a performing dove before foreign guests to cover up corruption and justify theft.”
Referring to internal debates in the CHP, Erdoğan said:
“Let me say it clearly – we are not at all pleased that the CHP is turning into the Society of Friends of England just to defend a handful of opportunists.”
Targeting municipalities, Erdoğan stated: “The people’s money is not and cannot be anyone’s personal bounty. We are facing a tangled mess of issues in countless areas. We believe the time has long come to make surgical interventions into these problems,” continuing the debate he started last week about bringing local administrations under central control.
“Özel must come to his senses”
Concluding his speech, Erdoğan said:
"Our wish is for Mr. Özel to come to his senses as soon as possible. The sooner Mr. Özel pulls himself together and realizes his responsibilities, the better it will be for our country and our nation."
(AEK/DT)
